WW1 - The Miracle on the Marne

Episode 4: The Miracle on the Marne

Twelve days. 150 miles. No sleep, no rations, Germans on your heels the entire way. That's the Great Retreat — and by the time it ends, France has already lost 75,000 dead, a sixth of her population, and most of her industrial heartland. The Germans are on the doorstep of Paris. This is the war, one month in, and it already looks decided.

Then Joffre sacks 140 officers in a week, builds a new army out of reservists and stragglers, and gets a Field Marshal who wanted to go home to say yes to one last fight. What happens next on the river Marne isn't just the battle that saves Paris — it's the battle that decides the entire shape of the 20th century that follows it.

No Marne, arguably no drawn-out war, no Treaty of Versailles, no Hitler, no Stalin, none of it. This is that hinge point.

We cover the collapsing German advance, Von Kluck's fatal overextension, the taxis of the Marne, and the two men on opposite sides who define how this battle actually gets decided — one who holds his nerve, and one who completely breaks under the weight of it.

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

To understand how we got here, we must first examine the past.

SPEAKER_02 0:04

It is my melancholy duty to inform you Australia is at war.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

To have insight into our future, we must learn from those who came before us.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

History doesn't always repeat, but it certainly does rhyme.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

We are only a small and young nation, but we are one and all a band of brothers.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

This is no past, no future. In this episode, I'm going to explain to you why the Battle of the Marne was the most important and decisive battle of the 20th century, and how it shaped the world that you and I live in today. So let's go back in time to the 24th of August 1914. World War I is less than a month old, and already the world is absolutely stunned with just how brutal the fighting has been. This war goes off like a bomb, with all the major powers coming to blows right off the bat, and the casualty numbers are horrifying. Trench warfare has not yet been established, and everyone is still above ground and moving their men about in a linear line infantry fashion that you might have seen in the Napoleonic and Civil War eras. This is when men would advance in a gentlemanly fashion toward their objective, often standing up under fire and manoeuvring in a slow, orderly fashion. But you now throw a few modern machine guns and howitzers in there, and you can mow down whole companies of men in seconds. No one was quite ready for what was taking place in these opening weeks. Now what makes the Battle of the Marne one of the most important in history, and why it is often called the miracle on the Marne, was because it was France's last stand, and had the French and British lost here, the entire rest of the 20th century would have played out in a completely different fashion, and who knows what that would have meant. No World War II? No Hitler? No Stalin? No fascism or communism? We could play that game all day. So to properly explain the miracle on the Marne, we have to show you what led up to this battle. In the 12 days prior, in what historians would call the Great Retreat. The Great Retreat was one of the most remarkable fighting retreats in the history of warfare. In just 12 days, the British and the French retreated around 150 miles from Mons and Belgium back toward Paris. Without rest, whilst under constant fire and having to turn around and fight off the pursuing Germans to try and stop from being completely enveloped and wiped out. Now an organized retreat can easily turn into a route, and if you look at casualty numbers throughout military history, this is where much of the killing is done. If you can get your opponent to break and run from the battlefield, it can easily turn into a turkey shoot. This is why you have mobile units like cavalry. This is their time to shine, to run down the fleeing enemy and cut them down. But with modern equipment on the battlefield, at this time, the retreating units could turn around quickly, form a firing line, and completely destroy any pursuing cavalry. So the pursuit had to be done on foot by the German infantry, which goes about the same speed as the retreating, French and British infantry. And in just a few days, France lost the cities of Lyle, Valenciennes, Cambrai, Arras, Amiens, Meziers, Saint-Contin, Leon, and Soissons, as well as coal and iron mines, wheat and sugar bed areas, and a sixth of her population. The French army had 75,000 already dead and more than 250,000 wounded, and a large portion of her civilian population was in full flight trying to get back behind Paris. After 12 days and nights of constant retreat, and with the Germans now right on the doorstep of Paris, morale must have been beginning to falter. And it looked like the Germans were about to win right here and now. And this is where France's commander-in-chief, Joseph Choffer, really comes into his own. He is exactly what France needs at this time. His imperturbable demeanour, his calm and steadfast leadership shone through for the French at this time. Think of him like what Churchill was to the British in World War II, when it looked like all hope was lost for the Allies. The first thing Choffer does here is take charge, starting by removing generals who fail to prove that they have what it takes during the heat of battle. In just about a week, he dismissed 140 officers, including two of the five army commanders, nine corps commanders, and 38 of the 82 divisional generals. In their place, he brings in individuals who have already proven themselves under fire. These aren't peacetime generals, they are leaders who, in the brief chaos since the war began, have shown that they can take decisive action, maintain their composure, and command effectively in the heat of battle. Another amazing thing Joffrey did was to scrounge men from down around Alsace-Lorraine on the stabilizing southern front and combine them up with reservists and Paris to create a whole new army, and that would be called the 6th. This army was then commanded by Joseph Gallieny and led by Michel Manoret to protect Paris. What the French need now is a miracle, a battlefield opportunity, and lo and behold, the perfect opportunity does present itself. On August 31st, Gallieny, with his newly formed Sixth Army in Paris, gets reports from reconnaissance aircraft that von Kluck's 1st Army has made a turn and presented their flank in front of Paris. So why? Why did the Germans not take Paris here? Wasn't that the whole point of the pre-war Schlieffen plan? Well there are a few reasons for that. He no longer has the manpower to sweep right around Paris as initially intended, as three corps of around 70,000 men were now tied down in Belgium, keeping them under control. Two more corps and one cavalry division equating to roughly 100,000 men had been taken away to the Russian front, as Helmut von Molke, chief of the German Great General Staff, felt that he could spare a few armies for the Eastern Front, as things had been going so well against the French. So the German army was becoming thinner and thinner, and they had also taken many losses pursuing the French and British. These combined factors severely reduced the weight of the German right wing, and gaps began to open between the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st Armies. Helmut von Molke planned to compensate for this by shortening the original circling movement around Paris to now pass in front of it and continue to pursue the retreating armies. But von Kluck had advanced too far beyond his supply lines and heavy artillery. His eagerness led to overextension, and he failed to heed warnings about this force that was amassing on his flank in Paris. He believed the French were in no condition to regroup and mount to the assault. He thought they were beaten and that he must not let up any pressure. This is now a chance that has presented itself for a counter-attack, and Joffrey needs to rally all of France's might right here and now and halt the enemy on the River Marne. But the men of the French and British armies are in a dismal state. One of the commanders in the French Fifth Army, when told to prepare for attack, looked like he had been hit by a truck. He declared that he cannot. My men have fallen down tired, they are completely exhausted, their weapons and uniforms are in tatters. He was promptly told, to quote, march or die. This is France's last stand right here. They have to push all their chips in. They are winning this or going out on their shield. There was one part of the defending forces that Joffrey didn't command though, and that is the British Army. And their field marshal, Sir John French of the BEF, is no longer in the mood for any fighting. BEF have felt that they'd been left in the lurch by the French already, having their flank exposed a number of times in these first few days of fighting. And now they were hightailing it out of here. In fact, they were already making plans to get the army off French soil and head back home. Schauffer finally managed to overcome the caution of Sergent French, and he gave this wonderful account of their meeting. We must go to battle with every man that both of us had and free from all reservations. So far as the French army is concerned, I continued, my orders are given, and whatever may happen, I intend to throw my last company into the balance to win victory and save France. It is in her name that I come to you and ask for the British assistance, and I urge it with all the power I have in me. I cannot believe that the British Army will refuse to do her share in the supreme crisis. History would severely judge your absence. Then, as I finished, carried away by my convictions and the gravity of the moment, I remember bringing down my fist on the table which stood at my elbow and crying, Monsieur Allen Marshall, the honor of England is at stake. Up to this point, French had listened imperturbably to the officer who was translating what I said. But now his face suddenly reddened. There ensued a short but impressive silence. Then with visible emotion, he murmured, I will do all I possibly can. Not understanding English, I asked the interpreter what Sir John had said. He merely replied, The field marshal says yes. Tea, which was already prepared, was then served. Shoffer, once he had returned to his headquarters, then addressed his officers. Gentlemen, we will fight on the Marne. He signed the order that would be read to the troops when the bugles blew the next morning. And it read like this. We're about to engage in a battle on which the fate of our country depends. And it is important to remind all ranks that the moment is past for looking to the rear. Every effort must be made to attack and throw back the enemy. Troops that can advance no farther must, at any price, hold on to the ground that they have conquered and die on the spot rather than give way. In the present circumstances, no act of weakness can be tolerated. So on September 6th, the Battle of the Marne began when 56 Allied and 43.5 German divisions engaged one another in a titanic struggle along a line stretching from Paris to the eastern frontier. Ferdinand Foch of the French 9th Army was pressed hard in the marshes of Saint-Gunn by von Hausen's Third Army and part of von Bulow's 2nd Army. At a critical moment when his right was driven back and his left seeding gave his famous order attack whatever happens. The Germans are at the extreme limit of their efforts. Victory will come to the side that outlasts the other. The French 6th Army in Paris, now led into battle by General Michel Joseph Manoret, attacked on the German flank of von Kluck's army, forcing von Kluck to turn his army to face this threat. After desperate fighting, Manoret, when almost defeated by Kluck, was miraculously reinforced by the 4th Corps, of whom 6,000 detraining in Paris were famously rushed to the front by Galliani and taxis, and he managed to just hold his ground. As von Klucht had turned to meet this flank coming from Paris, a 30-mile gap between the German 1st and 2nd Armies opened up. Amidst the chaos, the men of the BEF, having dutifully about turned, found themselves advancing alongside the French 5th into this gap. There was no great battle, no huge drama, but the penetration between these armies threatened utter disaster for the Germans, and on the 9th of September, von Molke ordered his right wing to retreat. Now quoting the commander of the German First Army, Alexander von Kluck. The basic reason for the German failure at the Battle of the Marne, the reason that transcends all others, was the extraordinary and peculiar aptitude of the French soldier to recover quickly. That men will let themselves be killed where they stand, that is a well-known thing, and counted on in every plan of battle. But that men who have retreated for ten days sleeping on the ground and half dead with fatigue should be able to take up their rifles and attack when the bugle sounds is a thing upon which we never counted. It is a possibility that was not studied in our War Academy. Von Molke went to the Kaiser at this point and said, Majesty, we have just lost the war. This is where von Molke falls apart. Realizing all of this will be blamed on him, he writes to his wife at the time. I cannot find words to describe the crushing responsibility that has weighed upon my shoulders during the last few days and still weighs on me today. The appalling difficulties of our present situation hangs before my eyes like a dark curtain through which I can see nothing. In the hour of decision over the future of the German people, its leader on the field of battle completely broke down, psychologically and physically. On September the 14th, von Molke had a nervous breakdown and was replaced by Eric von Falkenhayn as the chief of the German general staff. Within two years, von Molke was dead, a broken man. Imagine holding the fate of entire nations in your hands, knowing that every wrong move could cost millions of lives and determine whether your people prosper or become subjugated. The weight there must have been upon his shoulders is a weight that only a handful of people throughout history would have experienced. A weight that could easily break even the strongest of mine. As a fan of history, you can't help but indulge in exploring in some what-if scenarios surrounding this decisive battle. It was such a razor-thin turning point in history, one that could have easily gone either way, resulting in vastly different outcomes for how the 20th century unfolded? What if Germany had never violated Belgium's neutrality here? Would the British Empire have entered the war, adding her vast amounts of resources and manpower against the Germans? What if Helmut von Molke hadn't panicked and pulled a hundred thousand men away to the Eastern Front? Could those extra forces have filled the famous gap between the first and second armies? What if those reinforcements had broken Foch or Manoret's armies, which were only hanging on by a thread? What if Schauffer had not been the French commander? What if he had been replaced after the crushing losses of the Battle of the Frontiers? Could anyone else have kept their head and become the calm, steadfast pillar that France so desperately needed in this time of crisis? Few men of that era could have stood tall under such pressure. Consider what happened to von Molke. This was the supreme test of a man's wits, and Schoffer's ability to remain composed was vital to turning the tide. And perhaps the most haunting question of all, what if the Germans had won the war here? Would there have been a Second World War? Would we have had a Hitler? Would communism have taken root in Russia? Would we have had Lenin, Stalin, and the horrors of the gulags? Would we have had the nuclear arms race? So many of the problems we face today stem from the First World War. The ongoing instability in the Middle East, for example. So much of that was caused from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire during this war, and the way the Allies carved up the Middle East afterwards. For the French, it is likely they would say, we would never have wanted to live under the German boot. But what if by losing they could have saved the countless lives lost in this war and the next? For Britain, who didn't finally pay off her enormous World War I debt until 2015, a century later, what if they could have had their golden age back? Could they have avoided the devastation of both world wars? The what if scenarios of this turning point in history are practically inexhaustible? I personally see this war as a paradigm shift for humanity. Like this is where a new epoch began. And there is no turning back for us. This is where the old world ended and where the new one began. The first time we truly became globally connected, and it all went off like a firecracker. I want to finish now with a quote from one of my main sources of research for this video. And this is from the wonderful Barbara Tuchman in her book The Guns of August. After the Maan, the war grew and spread until it drew in the nations of both hemispheres and entangled them in a pattern of world conflict no peace treaty could dissolve. The Battle of the Maan was one of the decisive battles of the world, not because it determined that Germany would ultimately lose or the Allies ultimately win the war, but because it determined that the war would go on. There was no looking back, Schaefer told the soldiers on the eve. Afterward, there was no turning back. The nations were caught in a trap, a trap made in the first 30 days out of battles that failed to be decisive. A trap from which there was and has been no exit. Thanks for listening to this episode on the Miracle on the Mar. If you want to see it, the maps, the footage, the actual faces behind these names, the documentary is up on YouTube now. Jump on there and subscribe so you can catch all our future episodes. You'll find all the social links for no past and no future in the show notes. Leave us a like and let me know what you thought of the episode. Until next time, take it easy, and I'll see you around the traps.